Voyager's Moon
by Michi-chan1
Summary: The crew of Voyager has to take up with an old enemy of the Sailor Scouts
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. I'm using them just for fun and without permission. 

Note1: I first started writing this story, when Sailor Pluto reappeared in Sailor Stars, although she said, she would be punished for stopping time. I'm using the japanese names in the story:  
  
Usagi = Serena   
Ami = Amy   
Rei = Raye   
Makoto = Lita   
Minako = Mina   


Note2: It's the same story as before, I just decided to translated it (don't ask me why, I just felt like it ^__^). I'm no native english speaker, so please excuse my many mistakes. I've only translated the first chapter so far. The others are still german, but I'll work on it ^__^ 

And now Michi-chan productions presents you....   
  
  


**Voyager's Moon **   
  
  


The small planet rounded its sun in a steady orbit. On its surface were no signs of intelligent life; it was approximately in the stage of primeval times' earth. It was a peaceful world and there was yet no sign that this would change very soon. Danger was approaching unnoticed, like an enemy sneaking up from behind when you least expect it. 

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The chronometer showed 02:34. It was almost completely quiet aboard the USS Voyager, only the faint humming of the wrap core was audible. The lights in the corridors were dimmed - the only sign that it was in the middle of the night. In space there was no difference between day and night. No matter at which time you looked out of one of the big board windows, the picture you'd get would always be the same: Darkness, black darkness pierced only by the myriad of tiny lights, of which every one was a light years distant star. 

Most of the crew was asleep now, except those who had been assigned to gamma shift... or those to whom sleep just wouldn't come this night. Among them Kathryn Janeway, Voyager's captain. Ever since she woke from a startling dream an hour ago, she'd tried in vain to get back to sleep. She turned to the other side and stared at the chronometer on her nightstand. Four hours from now she would already have to get up again and report for duty on the bridge. She tried thinking of something boring and tiring, but that didn't help much either. Sighing she sat up. *Well, if I can't sleep*, she thought, *I might as well do something useful.* 

Pulling back her blanket, she stood up and walked over to her desk on which the newest reports from her crew were lying. Janeway sat down, took the one from the top and started reading. It was from Neelix, Voyager's chef and self appointed officer of mores. She looked through it and hoped she'd catch most of the important info. Even in his reports Neelix used far too many words to describe something simple. His report contained a list of the food supplies, which they were going to grow short of soon and thus should be looking out for on the M class planet Voyager was currently headed towards. 

Janeway laid the PADD aside and took the next one from the heap. But after a few words she couldn't concentrate on what she was reading. She felt consumed by an inner turmoil she had no explanation for. She looked up and her gaze fell on one of the items which were placed on a console that was standing on the opposite wall. Slowly she rose and walked over to it. The piece that had caught her attention was a strange and very old stick which her grandmother had once found in the ruins of an old house in Japan. It had been impossible to determine its exact age or its origin but her grandmother had been sure it was some kind of talisman and so she had kept it. Ever since it was in the possession of Kathryn's family. 

Janeway took the stick in her hands and turned it carefully, almost devout. It was approximately the length of her hand with a ball sitting on its top which in turn had smaller balls attached to both its sides. On top of the ball was a golden star with a strange symbol carved into it. Janeway had searched trough the whole federation database but hadn't found anything similar. Finally she had come to the conclusion that the sign didn't hold any meaning at all and merely served as an ornament. The symbol had the shape of a P with an L attached to its bottom. 

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Usagi Tsukino, her friends Makoto Kino, Ami Mizuno and Minako Aino plus the cats Luna and Artemis were on their way to the Hikawa shrine. Half an hour ago Usagi's friend Rei Hino had called her up and asked her to gather the others and bring them to the shrine as soon as possible. Usagi had noticed the excitement in Reis voice and wondered what could have happened. She had wanted to bring her boyfriend Mamoru along as well, but when she had called him, her call was only answered by his answering machine. 

"What could it be that Rei wants to tell us?" Makoto asked while they walked through the streets. 

"I certainly hope nothing bad has happened." Ami's face was worried. "What if new enemies have appeared?" 

"Please, anything but that!" moaned Usagi. 

"It's so nice and quiet since we defeated the Deathbusters. The evil guys could really give us some time to relax!" 

"Phh, don't worry!" Minako waved her hand disparagingly. "Maybe Rei's just going to tell us that she decided to marry Yuichiro." She giggled and was soon joined in by Usagi. But then from one second to the next the pigtailed girl looked upset. 

"No! Rei can't do that!" she cried with exasperation. "If someone is going to marry, then that would be Mamo-chan and me! We've been a couple far longer than them; we've been a couple before we were even born on this planet!" 

"Usagi, Minako was just joking." Makoto tried to calm her friend before Usagi would start telling the story of the wonderful love between Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity for the hundredth or so time. 

"Hey, look over there!" Minako suddenly shouted. "Isn't that Haruka and Michiru?" 

Her companions turned their attention to where she was pointing. 

"Yeah, you're right." Usagi said. "HEYA! HARUKA! MICHIRU!" she waved at them. 

When the two girls heard someone shouting their names they stopped and turned around. 

"Hi! Nice to see you! What are you doing here?" The beautiful turquoise haired Michiru smiled at them. 

"We're on our way to Hikawa shrine. Rei obviously wants to tell us something important." Ami answered her question. 

"Really?" asked Haruka. "She wants to tell us something, too." 

"But isn't that great? Now we can walk together!" Minako happily hooked her arm under Haruka's and pulled the baffled girl with her. The others followed them, rolling their eyes. Usagi walked up to Minako and tipped her on the shoulder from behind. 

"Minako, just in case you forgot.. No matter how cool Haruka looks, she can never be a HIM!" she whispered. 

"I know, I know" Minako sighed. "But it would be so nice IF..." 

"Absolutely hopeless!" groaned Luna. 

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At the shrine Rei was already waiting for her friends' arrival. *What is taking them so long?* 

She paced impatiently in front of the shrine while looking out for them. *They should be here by now* 

When she had conjured her holy flames about an hour ago, she had seen something that was so incredible, that she hadn't hesitated for a second to summon the others. They needed to know as soon as possible. If only they were already here. 

Rei was about to go back into the house, but stopped, when she thought she had heard Minako's voice. *Could it be them?* she asked herself, and walked towards the long stairway that led from the street up to the shrine. It was indeed them. 

Her eyes caught sight of Haruka and Minako walking a few meters ahead of the others. They were followed by Ami, Makoto and Michiru and - a few meters behind - Usagi, who dragged herself the long way upstairs. 

"Finally! What took you so long?" Rei asked instead of a greeting. 

"Sorry, Rei but we couldn't make it any sooner." Makoto tried to calm Rei. 

"What could be of such great importance anyway, that you let us all run here at your command?" asked a breathless Usagi who had finally managed to climb the stairs. "I wanted to go shopping with Naru today." 

"Grrr USAGI!!" Rei looked at Usagi and took a threatening step towards the other girl. "In case you have forgotten, we are Sailor Scouts and we have a duty. When will you ever realize-" She didn't get any further. Usagi who had backed away from her had unfortunately forgotten that behind her was only the stairway. 

"Uasgi! Watch out!" 

"Usagi be carefull!" 

Ami's and Luna's warnings were a second's fraction too late. Usagi had already lost her balance and was swinging her arms in a fruitless attempt to regain it. "Oh no, no, no... HEEEELPP!!" 

The others watched in shocked silence, as Usagi fell backwards as if in slow motion and started to roll back down the stairs. (Hey, she's an anime character, this won't hurt her!) 

"I can't believe it!" sighed Rei. 

"Well, Rei, I guess whatever it is that you wanted to tell us, it will have to wait for a while. Because it isn't sure, how long it will take Usagi to climb those stairs again... maybe hours... days..." That comment earned Minako a look from Rei, that would've made hell freeze over. But before Minako, too, would become a victim of Rei's temper, Michiru intervened. 

"Rei, how about you tell us in short what has happened. Until Usagi is back up here." 

"Whenever that may be!" 

"Minako!" 

"Ok, ok I'll shut up." 

Rei looked at each of the other girls in turn then took a deep breath and said "Ok, it was this afternoon, barely an hour ago, when I consulted my holy flames, that.. Sailor Pluto appeared to me." 

Silence fell over the group after Rei's words. The five girls stared at each other, none of them knowing what to say. After a few moments they turned back to Rei, who had been watching them, the expression on her face even more than the one she used to say: "Usagi, are you ever stupid!" 

Haruka was the first to find her speech again. "Are you serious, Rei?" she whispered, then said a bit louder "I mean, are you sure it was Pluto? Couldn't it be that you-" 

"What-" gasping "-what was-" more gasping "-was Pluto?" even more gasping. The girls turned around to see Usagi standing on the top stair leaning her arms on her knees and panting madly. Makoto walked slowly over to her and, having reached Usagi, laid her hand on the other girl's forearm. Usagi looked at her questioningly, not knowing what to make of Makoto's action. 

"Mako-chan, is everything alright?" 

"Yeah... yeah, I guess..." Makoto paused, then spoke on, her voice steady and calm again. 

"Usagi, Rei just told us something really, really incredible..." 

"She saw Sailor Pluto!" Minako shouted 

"What?!" Usagi stared at Rei in utter bewilderment. 

"Let's go inside." Rei suggested. "I'll tell you everything then." 

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Something was different. It took the woman a moment to realize what it was. Then she knew. It was the silence. The silence that had been her companion on her sheer endless journey, that had almost become a part of her - it was gone. Instead myriads of different noises, the most of which she couldn't identify as it had been too long since she had last heard them, came to her ears. And it wasn't dark anymore. A bright light pierced her eyes even through closed lids. She felt something brush her arm. 

The feeling brought her thoughts to an abrupt stop. She FELT something. But that would mean she had a body once more. She forced her eyes to open, ignoring the blinding light. It was the only way for her to determine where she was, what she was. Slowly she raised her lids a bit, but closed them again immediately, because the light caused her eyes which were accustomed to darkness, immense pain. She took a deep breath taking in the smells of her surroundings. They there so completely different from the smells she had known before her journey. Those were fresh smells of plants, of clear air. They were smells of life. And she didn't like them. 

Once more she tried to open her eyes, and this time she ignored the pain. The first thing her eyes saw was a mass of strange plants that was growing wildly all around her. She opened her eyes a bit further to see more of her surroundings. The sky above her was a clear blue and not a single cloud covered the two suns that shone there. She was about to take a closer look at her surroundings when she suddenly stopped dead and gazed at the sky again. No, she hadn't imagined it. Above her were two suns. Shocked as she was, she was no fool. She knew very well what the two suns meant; that she wasn't on earth or even in the terran solar system anymore. But where was she then? She tried to remember what had happened before the darkness had engulfed her. 

=/\==/\==/\= 

Serenity, the Moon Princess, had used her silver crystal and then.. then there had been a bright light and then... then? The next thing she remembered was the silence. 

=/\==/\==/\= 

The woman looked down at herself and was surprised to see that she looked exactly the same as she had before. Before the princess had defeated her and destroyed all her plans. 

But had the princess really defeated her? After all, she wasn't dead. A thought struck the woman. What about her powers? Did she still possess any power or was she now just a simple and weak human? Well, that could be tested. 

She fixed her eyes on a tree a few feet away and then concentrated on aggravating the power in her body. She felt a familiar tingle on her skin as a strong energy began to pulse inside of her. The feeling of this uncanny energy that seemed to flow through every vein in her body would have been enough to prove her that she was much more than a mere human. It wasn't really necessary to finish her test. She did it nonetheless. She wanted this, she needed it. 

And so she extended one of her hands towards the tree. A black ball of energy shot from her palm and raced towards the tree. As soon as the ball had hit its target the tree turned to dust. A small smile appeared on her lips. This was good, very good. She thoroughly enjoyed using her powers again. 

Maybe, just maybe, the last battle between her and the Moon kingdom wasn't fought out, after all. At the moment she might not know, where she was - on which planet, in which solar system and in which time - but that didn't matter to her. 

She decided that before she would do anything else, she would first create a new hideout here. 

Once again she concentrated on the power in her body. But this time she didn't go for a small ball of energy. She kept on aggravating her power until a swirl of black energy was whirling around her. When she felt the energy reaching its peak, she stretched out both her hands and with that movement let loose the energy. 

She watched it whirling through the plants, leaving only ashes behind. Another movement of her hand brought it to a stop and it started to rotate with increasing speed, all the while growing bigger and bigger until it covered great expanses of the surrounding land. Then suddenly it was gone as if it had never been there in the first place. And in its place a black mountain towered. The woman closed her eyes and used her powers to teleport herself into the mountain. 

A cool and quiet darkness greeted her in the cave that was located right in the mountain's heart. She sighed. Yes, this was much better. No bright light to assault her eyes, no fresh air to assault her nose. From here on she would plan her further moves. She didn't know if she would ever meet the moon princess again to take her revenge on her, but at the moment that didn't matter to the woman. For now there was only one thing of any importance to her: 

Queen Beryl was alive.   


To be continued... 


	2. Chapter 2

  
**Disclaimer:** We should all thank god that the characers don't belong to me -.-' 

**Note:** I really don't like this chapter.. it is crappy! I mean, it was bad in german, but it is even worse in the english version >_< BR> I hope the next chapters will get better *sigh*   


  
Voyager's Moon 

Chapter 2 

  
by Michi-chan   
  
  


Discontented, Sable, Commander of the Hirogen ship 'Damon' was sitting in his chair on the bridge. He was in a bad mood, a very bad mood to be precise. Just like the rest of his crew. They had been cruising through this area of space for days now in search of prey. But their search had not been unsuccessful, yet. With each passing day the crew's mood was sinking lower and lower and at the same time the tension between the men on board grew. The men, the crew of the 'Damon' consisted only of men, as usually with Hirogen ships, were in desperate need of a good hunt. 

Sable understood them only too well. He felt it himself, this feeling of unsettlement that was getting stronger. He knew, were they not to find prey soon, the crew's mood would hit bottom. And under such circumstances it was most likely for the men to start a mutiny. He had heard stories about other ships on which the crew, in their fury und desperation, had just taken their commanders as prey. The thought that the same fate could possibly await him, if nothing happened soon, made Sable's insides going cold. 

No. He shook off this thought. That would never happen to him, of that he would take care. His first officer's voice startled him out of his reverie. 

"Commander Sable" 

"What is it, Thorn? I really hope it is good new you have to bring. It would be better for you and me. Because right now I'm absolutely not in the mood for any more bad news!" 

Sable's voice had taken on a menacing tone and Thorn winced slightly, before he spoke. "Long range sensors discovered a planet approximately 50 light years from our current position. We didn't scan any life signs, but there seems to be a big source of energy on this planet." 

"Why do you even bother me with this?" Sable snapped. "We don't need energy, we've got plenty. What the crew need is a good hunt and I'm sure you agree with me, that they surely won't get one on an uninhabited planet?" 

"If there is an energy source on this planet, then it must have gotten there somehow" Thorn replied. "Our sensors may not detect any life signs but that doesn't necessarily imply that there really is no life on the planet." 

"What are you getting at?" 

"What if this planet is inhabited and his inhabitants have built some kind of shield to protect themselves against scans from foreign ships? It could be this energy source that's keeping our sensors from detecting any life form that might be there. It is at least a chance" 

Sable took a moment to think about this. IF there really was life, and as Thorn had pointed out, there was the possibility, then they would finally get their hunt. But if not, if the planet was deserted... 

Sable noticed the expectant looks on the faces of his bridge crew and he realized that he had no other choice. He had to take the risk. Who knew when they'd find the next planet, or even another ship? He couldn't hold out his people any longer. 

"All right. Set a course for the planet" he ordered the helmsman, hoping that he had taken the right decision. 

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"And now Rei, please tell us exactly what happened" Luna demanded, after they had all taken seats in a room inside the shrine. 

Rei cleared her throat and brushed a few strands of hair back. She enjoyed being the center of attention. "Well, as I just told you, I've seen Sailor Pluto earlier, when I wa-" 

"What? When did you tell us that? I don't remember you telling us!" Usagi interrupted her. 

"You were fighting with the stairs, when she told us" Haruka grinned. "Go on Rei." 

"You know, I've been feeling this strange anxiety the whole day, but I could not explain where it was coming from. I assumed that maybe new enemies had appeared, so I conjured up my flames. At first they didn't show me anything at all, but when I was about to leave, there was suddenly this high jet flame. And after the fire had shrunk back to it's former size again, I saw Pluto in the flames. 

"You only saw her? Nothing else?" Artemis asked. 

"Wait, let me finish. I did not only see her, she also spoke to me. I'm not sure if I understood everything she said, as her voice had been barely above a whisper. But I think she said something about her being imprisoned somewhere and that she could not free herself, because she had also lost her powers. 

"Did she tell you, where it is that she is being held captive?" asked Michiru 

"She said her prison was between space and time, but that she could be freed, if the one chosen by her would find her transformation stick and most of all, if this person would be able to use its powers." 

"The one chosen by her?" 

"Find her stick?" 

"Use its power?" 

"Where is her stick?" 

"Who is the chosen one?" 

"Why is it that Pluto is being held between space and time in the first place?" 

All these questions came pouring down on Rei at once. "I'm sorry, bit I don't know the answers to your questions. The apparition dissolved before I was able to get any more information from her." 

"I think we could answer at least one of the questions" Michiru said in a soft voice, whereas everyone in the room looked at her curiously. "I think I know why Pluto is held captive. Do you remember the force field the Deathbusters had raised around Mugen school?" 

The others nodded slowly and Michiru carried on. "Uranus, Pluto and me, we tried to get into the building from above via helicopter. But the demons in the field caught our helicopter with their tentacles. They used their dark energy to get the helicopter to explode. Pluto saved Uranus and me by stopping time right before the explosion. Thus we were able to get out of the helicopter. But Pluto didn't come with us. She said that she, the guardian of time, isn't allowed to stop the same and that a violation of this rule would be punished quite severely. 

After Michiru had finished the girls looked at each other, none of them saying a word. Finally Ami broke the silence. 

"Fine, now we now why Pluto is prisoner, but we still have no clue as to who this chosen one might be an how she could help us free Pluto." 

"Rei, do you think you could conjure up Pluto's vision once more?" Makoto asked. 

"No.. no I don't think so. I tried to do it, but it didn't work" Rei said gloomily 

"Don't be so depressed, Rei. Never forget, we're Sailor Scouts and if Pluto wants us to find this chosen one, we will find a way!" Minako tried to cheep up Rei. 

"That's not it. I haven't told you everything, yet." Rei paused and took a deep breath while the others waited silently for her to go on. "Do you remember me telling you about this strange sense of foreboding I've these past few days? That we have a new enemy?" 

"Yes.." 

"Well.. Pluto confirmed my assumption." 

The others stared at Rei, shocked. "Are you sure?" Ami asked. 

"Almost" 

Usagi and Minako jumped at each other and looked at Rei, their eyes the size if saucers. "You're kidding us, aren't you?" Minako asked hopefully. "Please, say that you're just making fun of us." 

"How can you even think I would make jokes about that severe a matter?" Rei snapped angrily at them. 

"Uhhm.. maybe you're pissed off because I always read your comic books?" Usagi suggested 

Rei was fuming and an eruption of the infamous "Mount Hino" was not far (away??) 

"Have you found out anything more about this new enemy, yet?" Ami asked hastily before Rei could decimate the Sailor Team by two members. The question made her cool down again. 

"No, not a thing. I'm not even sure if it could be called an enemy. All Pluto did was warn me about an upcoming menace" 

"An upcoming menace? What kind of danger could that be?" Haruka mused 

"And whom is it threatening?" asked Makoto. "I mean is it just a danger to us, or is the whole town in danger.. or even the entire planet?" 

"No, no!" Rei shook her head. "It's not like that. Pluto was talking about an old danger that has come back. She said the chosen one would be the first one to face it." 

"Well, if the chosen one will be the first, then it shouldn't be that difficult to find her. We just sit and wait until something dangerous happens. And then.. voilà, we'll see who will stand face to face with danger!" 

"And how exactly do you plan to do this, Minako?" asked Michiru. "We don't even know what kind of danger it is. There are quite a few things that could prove to be a danger under certain circumstances. Haruka is a danger, too - when she is driving." 

"Michiru!" Haruka glared at her friend with faked exasperation, while the others grinned over Michiru's hint at Haruka's driving style. 

"Well, that means we have not the slightest indication concerning this chosen one as well as the danger." Luna brought their minds back to the matter at hand. 

Suddenly, coming from nowhere, a flash of light flickered through the room. The girls gasped in shock and immediately brought up their hands to cover their eyes from the blinding light. When they finally let them sink again, Sailor Pluto was standing before them. Actually it wasn't really Pluto, but just a holographic projection of her. 

"Hello, Sailor Scouts, Princess, Luna, Artemis" she greeted the girls and the two cats. 

"Pluto!" 

"How did you get here? I tried to contact you again, but it didn't work. You have to tell us more about this upcoming danger and the chosen one." Rei bombarded Sailor Pluto with questions. 

"There isn't much time. I don't know for how long I will be able to hold the connection. So listen to me carefully." 

The seven girls nodded, staring at the beautiful young woman standing in front of them, who had once been one of theirs. A soldier for justice. 

"The danger I warned Sailor Mars about... I don't know what or who exactly it is, but I do know that you had already had to do with it before. Whatever happened then, you didn't destroy the menace completely. It is again threatening people. But not here, in our world. In another world in another dimension." 

"In another dimension?" asked Makoto, bewilderment in her voice. 

"Yes. There are many dimensions which exist parallel to ours and in which life has developed. Under normal circumstances there shouldn't be any connection between any of them. But from time to time a tunnel opens between two of them, connecting them for a short period of time. Usually these tunnels pose no risk, as no one knows about them and they appear random, which means you can't tell when one will appear and from which to which dimension it will lead. Thus no enemy will be able to use them for their purposes. But in our case the danger which you fought in our dimension wasn't extinguished here, but instead been sucked through a tunnel and into another dimension. The same happened to my transformation stick." 

"Your stick, too?" 

"After I had stopped time, I was punished and imprisoned between space and time. It was then that I lost my stick and it, too was sucked through an inter-dimensional tunnel. Something in me senses that it had been the same tunnel through which the danger escaped. They are therefore in the same dimension." 

"And what does that mean for us? And what is it with this chosen one?" asked Minako 

"The chosen one is a woman from the other dimension. Ever since I lost my stick I used my remaining powers to search this other dimension for a human, who-" 

"Human? Does that mean that in this dimension live humans, just like here? And there is also an earth?" Ami interrupted. 

"This dimension is quite similar to ours. I searched it for a human female who would be compatible to my powers, so that I could transfer my power onto her. But that is only possible if she gets into the possession of my transformation stick." 

"Wait, wait! Does that mean that if this woman finds your stick, she will become Sailor Pluto?" 

"Yes, it does. When I discovered that for all it seems I would be imprisoned forever, I decided to give my powers to another person, who then would be able to use them to fight for justice in my place." 

"But that's impossible" shouted Luna, and Ami agreed with the black cat. "Luna is right. We can't just transfer our powers to other people. Even if someone were to have my stick, he couldn't use it to become Sailor Mercury." 

"Theoretically you're right, But what you forget is, that this woman is from another dimension in which there isn't already a Sailor Pluto who claims the power of Pluto." 

The girls looked at Pluto, not really comprehending what she had said and Pluto realized that they would need a more thorough explanation. "In each dimension exist the planets of our solar system. And, like here, there are also humans, who are under the protection of one of the planets. Here this planetary protection makes us soldiers with special powers, but in another dimension this wouldn't be the case. The effects are different from dimension to dimension. For example there is one dimension in which all the planets are made inhabitable for humans and the people standing under the protection of the planets are the rulers of each planet. You, Makoto, if you lived there, would not be Sailor Jupiter but the Queen of Jupiter." 

"And how is it in the dimension in which your stick is now?" 

"Well, as far as I know planetary protection has no special effect on a human there. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The woman I have chosen is, like me, under the protection of the planet Pluto. Therefore she will be able to use my powers." 

"But what if she will never get your stick?" 

"She will get it, believe me." 

"How can you be so sure?" 

"The stick belongs with the person under the protection of Pluto. It will find its way to the person it belongs with, even in another dimension. But how it will do that, I do not know." 

"You told me, the chosen one would be the first one to meet the danger." 

"Yes, Sailor Mars. She will meet it and she will take up the fight against it, when she discovers that it is threatening her world. But on her own she won't be strong enough to win this fight. You have to help her! That is your duty. After all, she and her dimension wouldn't be in danger, had you defeated the danger." 

"We really want to help her, but how do we do that? How are we to get to that other dimension?" asked Usagi who had been silent until now. 

"Pluto smiled. She hadn't expected any other reaction from Usagi. She was about to answer to Usagi's question when her projection suddenly began flicker." 

"Pluto!!" the others shrieked shocked 

"Connection... can't hold it." 

"How? How do we get to that other dimension?" cried Haruka, who remembered the most important question. 

"Teleport... Neptune, your mirror..." 

"What? What about my mirror?" asked Michiru excitedly. 

"Will... lead.. way" 

And then Pluto was gone. 

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Captain Janeway was dreaming. For days now, she had had this same dream. She was surrounded by thick layers of fog that kept her from seeing her surroundings. Slowly she turned around, but no matter in which direction she looked, she saw always the same. Fog. And she was frightened. It was a fear for which she had no rational explanation. But she knew instinctively that it had something to do with the fog, or more precisely with something that was hidden inside the fog. She felt danger lurking inside the thick mists, waiting for the right moment to attack. 

And then suddenly she saw a figure emerging from the mist. But as always the figure wouldn't come near enough for Kathryn to discern anything more than its rough shape. But its presence was enough to take the fear from Kathryn. She had no clue who this figure was, but her guts told her that it wasn't here to harm her. That it was, in fact, here to avert the danger. 

"Who are you?" asked Janeway, but the figure didn't answer. It never talked to her. Janeway walked towards it, but for each move she made towards it, the figure took one step backwards, so that the distance between them wouldn't decrease. 

"What is it you want from me?" she didn't expect an answer, but to her great surprise she heard a voice coming from the fog. It was a female voice. 

"I want to help you, but you have to let me near you." 

It had been the first time the figure had talked to her. Janeway thought about her words for a moment but they didn't make any sense to her. 

"Why do you want to help me? And what do you mean with I have to let you near me? It is you who runs away every time I try to get near to you." 

The figure was silent. 

"Answer me! I now know that you are able to communicate with me, so please talk to me! Who are you? And where are we?" 

But the woman still didn't speak. She had said all that was to be said and was now beginning to retreat back into the fog. 

"No! Stay! Please, answer me! I don't understand all this!" cried Kathryn. But the woman had already disappeared. 

And with her disappearance the fear came back. Panic-stricken Janeway looked around, but all she could see was fog. It was everywhere. Suddenly she heard a humming noise, but couldn't detect from which direction it was coming. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. The humming was heard once more and at the same time, Kathryn noticed that the mist around began to dissolve. 

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= 

Janeway woke from her dream, shocked. It took her a moment to understand that she had been dreaming. The fog, the fear, the woman in the fog, that all had seemed to real to her. She realized that she was in her ready room and that the sound of the door bell had woken her. *Fallen asleep during duty! Well done, Kathryn!* a voice in her head mocked. How could she expect her crew to do their duty with 100% when she, the Captain, fell asleep during duty. But this dream... It was so confusing. She wouldn't have given it any second thought had it been a one time thing. But it hadn't. She didn't know for how many times it had come to her by now. 

It had started when Voyager had set course towards that M class planet in hope of finding plants there to refresh their food storage. In the following night Kathryn had found herself in the strange fog landscape for the first time. Since then she had had this dream almost every night. The nearer they got to the planet, the more frequent the dream had gotten. But this time it had been different. The figure had talked to her. From its voice Kathryn could tell that it was a woman. But her words were making no sense. 

The repeated ringing of the door bell startled her out of her thoughts. She sat upright in the chair behind her desk and hoped that her hair hadn't gotten badly out of place during her little slumber. Whoever it was who wanted to talk to her, he needn't know that his Captain had just used his duty shift to catch up on some sleep. 

"Come in" she said. 

The doors opened and she caught sight of her first officer. He entered the room and the doors closed again behind his form. 

"Commander?" she asked. 

"Can I talk to you, Captain?" 

"Of course. What is it, Commander?" she indicated towards a chair in front of her desk. 

He hesitated and she threw him a questioning look 

Noticing her look he added: "It is... uhm... personal." 

"Oh..." Janeway hesitated for a second, but then rose and climbed the two stairs to the upper section, where she sat down on the couch under the big panorama window. She motioned for Chakotay to join her and after he had done so, turned to him. "So, what is it, you want to talk to me about?" 

"Well, how shall I put it? I want to talk about you." he said slowly. 

"Pardon?" Janeway stared at him surprised. She hadn't expected something like that. She felt the by now familiar feeling of uncertainty rising inside her. Did he want to talk about their relationship again? Relation? No, that was the wrong word. They had no relation. Although she sometimes had the impression that he wanted one. During their stay on 'New Earth' she had learned about his feelings for her for the first time. He had never said anything concrete, had hidden behind the legend of the angry warrior. After their return from the planet they hadn't talked about it anymore, but from his actions and the way he was looking at her, when he felt unnoticed, she had read his feelings. 

And it wasn't like his affection made her uncomfortable, or like she could deny, she, too, felt attracted to him. But why was she always pushing him away? She could no longer reason it with her faithfulness to Mark, because Mark was married now. Kathryn knew the reason exactly. She was afraid. Afraid of succumbing to her feelings, and then being hurt and losing him. Not to another woman, but to the profession they both had chosen. Life in space was dangerous, even in the Federation, not to speak in an uncharted area of space, 60.000 light years from home. After the death of her first fiancée, Justin Tighe, she had vowed to never again have a relation with a Starfleet officer. 

"Kathryn?" Chakotay was looking at her questioningly and she realized that he had asked her something. Besides he surely had noticed the faraway look on her face. 

"I'm sorry, what did you just say? I wasn't listening." 

"Yes, I noticed that. You seemed a million light years away." 

"Oh no. Only 60.000" she replied, a wry smile on her face. 

"Ah I see. Homesick?" 

"Who on board isn't?" 

"Oh I get the impression, that Tom Paris is quite happy out here" he said and added, grinning "After all, he found the great love of his life here." 

Janeway answered his grin with one of her own. "Who would've ever thought that those two would get it together? Remember, B'Elanna used to call Tom a pig at every given opportunity." 

"Yes, but that doesn't mean anything. B'Elanna has called almost every man a pig once. You should have seen her during her time in the Maquis" 

Janeway gave a small laugh. "I think what I've seen of her during the first weeks was enough for me to get the picture." 

Then she became earnest again. "But what was it, you wanted to talk to me earlier?" she changed the topic. 

"Kathryn, is something bothering you?" 

Janeway had a hard time, trying not to show her shock. Could he know about her dreams? Did he know her that well? Or was she just that easy to read? The look on his face told her that she obviously had failed in concealing the emotions running through her. He knew he had hit into the black. *I should really work on my poker face* she thought ironically. 

"Bothering may not be the right expression for it. I'd rather call it... occupy" she admitted finally. As he anyway knew that his suspicion had been right, there was no point in pretending that everything was fine. Besides she trusted him enough to tell him about her worries. 

For a while she just sat there silent and looked at Chakotay. She wasn't sure how to tell him that it was a dream that was disturbing her that much. It seemed rather silly. But then she remembered that Chakotay's people believed very strongly in dreams and their meaning. So she began to tell him everything. 

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